6 basic tech skills you need to have

Technology has become a normalized part of everyday life and being tech savvy is no longer a unique skill, it’s a universal one. All major companies have adopted a degree of technology into their practice and it’s expected that everyone has basic tech skills.

Here are 6 of the most essential:

1. Social Media
Regardless of your role, being able to use and understand social media is a must. It allows you stay up-to-date with the latest news, technologies and events which means you won’t become outdated in your role. It also gives you the opportunity to engage with potential clients and customers!

Social media has become one of the most dominant and powerful platforms of the 21st century and so if you aren’t already, it’s time to jump on-board!

2. Touch-Typing
Gone are the days of typists. Everyone is expected to type for themselves and to type fluently. If you’re still using three fingers then we suggest you start practicing or take a short-course in touch-typing!

With our fast-paced society and high time pressures, being able to quickly type simple documents like emails and letters is simply expected!

3. Writing professional emails/letters
Being able to put together a concise and literate email or letter is an expected skill for pretty much all major business practice. Even if English wasn’t your strong suite at school, you should still have basic grammar skills and be able to write simple emails or letters if required. Your language doesn’t have to be fluffy and fancy, just straight to the point and grammatically correct!

4. Basic Computer Skills
Computers are now a normalized technology for business and it’s expected that everyone is confident in using them! Simple skills of being able to turn on, navigate and use its basic functions are critical.

5. Microsoft Skills – Word, Excel & PowerPoint
Apart of basic computer skills is being able to use the foundational Microsoft programs or their equivalent programs (e.g pages on Mac). You should be confident in creating quick documents on word, basic spread sheeting in excel and presentations on power point.

Although not all roles may require you to use these programs on a daily basis, they are foundational to most business and thus understanding them and being able to use them is essential!

6. Staying up-to-date:
New technologies can provide opportunities for more efficient and cost-effective practices and implementing these into your business or your personal life can be highly beneficial!

A great example of this is the I Want 2 WORK recruitment portal. This innovative technology saves employers and employees valuable time, money and frustration in the recruitment process!

So even if you’re job isn’t tech based make sure you’re up-to-date with these 6 basic skills!